


Modern Princess

by Sarea Okelani (sarea)



Category: Smallville
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-07-25
Updated: 2004-07-25
Packaged: 2017-10-08 14:09:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/76425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarea/pseuds/Sarea%20Okelani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>LJ drabble request from Jade - Lex/Lana; "Teach me how to do it right."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Modern Princess

He found her sitting on a park bench, looking small and forlorn. She was wearing unusual clothes for Lana -- at least for the Lana who had returned from Paris. Instead of a chic dress with mile-high shoes, she wore jeans, a close-fitting yellow shirt, and sneakers. Her hair wasn't up in a complicated upsweep or flowing alluringly down her back; instead, it was in two pigtails that hung just off her shoulders. From far away, she could have passed for a girl of twelve.

Up close, however, there was no mistaking that she was a young woman, all graceful curves, doe eyes, and flawless skin. Normally an engaging smile would complete the ensemble, but not today.

"This seat taken?"

At the sound of another voice, she automatically began to wipe the tears off her cheeks, hiding the fact that she'd been crying. When she looked up and saw who it was, her efforts became less hurried. He was glad about that.

"Lex -- what are you doing here?"

"What? I come here all the time."

"You do?"

"Oh, yeah. I love to play on the swings. And after that, there's nothing like a wild ride on the merry go round. I usually have to push myself, but sometimes one of the kids will do it for me."

She gave a teary-sounding laugh, but definitely better than nothing.

"What are you really doing here?" she asked.

"Well, you mentioned yesterday that you were going to tell him today, so I wanted to come by and check up on--"

"You just missed him," Lana said, looking away. "He left a few minutes ago."

"I saw him," Lex said quietly. "He was leaving just as I arrived. But I didn't come here to check up on Clark, Lana. I came to see how you were doing. How are you holding up?"

Lana looked at him in surprise, which he had to admit bothered him. When was she going to accept the fact that she was as dear a friend to him as Clark was, maybe even more so now that he and Clark seemed to be on the outs most of the time?

"I'm all right," she said, taking a deep, shaky breath. "I'll be all right. You should check on Clark, make sure he's okay."

"I will," Lex said, knowing he probably wouldn't. In the old days, Clark would perhaps come to him, to seek his advice or his sympathy. Lex knew there would be none of that now. "You did the right thing, you know."

"I know," Lana responded quickly. "I do know that. But it's Clark, and we have so much _history_." She shook her head. "He doesn't know who I am anymore. I'm not sure he ever did. I tried to explain..."

"He took it badly." Lex didn't bother to make it a question. "The thing you have to understand about Clark, Lana, is that he's been in love with you for a very long time..."

"He _thinks_ he's been in love with me," she said.

"He's thought himself in love with you for a long time," Lex acknowledged, "so it's not easy for him to hear you tell him there's no more hope. Until he falls out of love with you -- or stops thinking he's in love with you -- he'll always harbor the hope that it'll work for you two. I think you know that. What hurts him is knowing you don't have that hope anymore. Knowing that you've given up. And worse, that you want him to give up, too."

"I've made my peace with it," Lana said, sighing miserably. "I just want to help him make his. Do you know, we've broken up like five times, and we've never really even gone out?" Tears gathered in her eyes again, and she wiped them away. "God, I'm such a mess. I wish I weren't so emotional about things like this. I hurt him; he didn't hurt me. I don't have the right to do this. I wish I could be completely unemotional." She looked at him and laughed hollowly. "Lex, you're the best businessman I know. You often have to be unemotional about emotional things, don't you? That's why you're successful. So, come on. Teach me how to do it right."

Her vulnerability made Lex reach out and tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I wouldn't want to," he replied gently, trailing the line of her jaw with the tip of his finger before dropping his hand to his side once more. "I'd never change a single thing about you."

"Thank you," she whispered. "But I'm not the fairy princess Clark thinks I am."

"That's not how I see you," Lex agreed. "You _are_ a princess -- a modern one, with a bigass sword and judo moves." He smiled faintly when this made her let out a sound that was almost a laugh. "You've got your own horse, your own armor, and a future as some CEO in a multinational company. You sure don't need no stinking prince."

"Not the wrong one, anyway," said Lana.

"Maybe Clark is someone else's prince."

"I hope he is," she said suddenly. "I think he'd make someone a great prince. Just not me."

"You'll find him someday, Lana," Lex said, glancing up at a cerulean blue sky. He got up and slid his hands into his trouser pockets. "If you want to."

Lana didn't say anything, but he could sense her smile. "Hey -- that means I might be someone else's princess," she said hopefully, squinting up at him.

He looked down at her and smiled. "Yeah," Lex agreed, admiring the way sunlight glinted off her dark hair. "You probably are."


End file.
